The Mermaid's Mirror (12 page)

"Let's do something after school, just the two of us. In fact..." He pretended to remember something, although Lena could tell he'd known it all along. "No one will be home at my house. Ani's staying on campus, and my parents will be at work until five." He cocked his head appealingly at her. "We could watch a movie. Or listen to some music, or something."

Right,
thought Lena.
Or something.

***

Pem opened her front door and looked at Lena in confusion. "What are you doing here?"

"Can a sistah come in, or are you going to make me apologize on your doorstep?" said Lena.

Pem stepped back. "I thought you and Kai were goingt o—"

Lena entered the house, shrugging off her jacket. "I never said that. He was being presumptuous."

After a moment, Pem grinned and said, "And impertinent?"

"And exclusionary."

"And—" Pem paused. "Wow, that's a tough word. Uh ... separatist!"

"Nice," said Lena. "Anyway, I'm sorry we made you feel like a third wheel."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not. Things have been weird, Pem, and I ... I want them to go back to the way they were."

Pem gave a wry smile. "Too late for that."

Lena's lower lip trembled. "It's too late?"

Pem grabbed her arm. "Oh! Don't look like that! Sorry. I just meant that we
can't
go back to the way things were. Everything's changed. You know, you're in love with Kai, and I'm in love with Max, and—"

Lena didn't know which tidbit to pounce on first. She settled for the latter. "You're in love with Max?"

Pem shifted her weight. "Well, yeah. I think I am. Yes."

"Really?!"

"Maybe you didn't notice because you're so swoony over Kai," teased Pem.

"But I'm not," said Lena. "Am I? I don't feel swoony. In fact, I'm not even ... don't tell him, okay? But I don't feel like I'm actually
in love
with Kai."

Pem's eyes widened. "You're not?" She pulled on Lena's arm. "Come on. Let's go talk in my room. Mama Mia is lurking around here, wanting me to help her fix dinner. We'll go say hi to her, and she won't bother me once she sees you're here."

Lena confided to Pem that the whole being-with-Kai thing felt almost like watching a movie. She could see how they had ended up together, and she cared about him a lot—of course she did!—and she liked the making-out part, but she didn't get all weak-kneed and palpitating when he was around.

"Maybe that's how it is for some people," she said. "They hang out together for years, and suddenly one day they're madly in love and can't get enough of each other. But, um, that's not how it is with Kai and me. Or at least, that's not how it is for me."

Pem listened. Then she said, "Leen, the guy called you his
pearl
in front of a roomful of people. In front of your parents! I hate to break it to you, but he's totally smitten. So don't ... you know,
hurt
him."

"I'm not going to hurt him," protested Lena. "He's my boyfriend. And also? If I hurt him, I'm afraid Ani will beat the crap out of me."

Pem laughed. "She is a force of nature, isn't she?"

"But if Kai expects me to turn into Kissy McSwoonypants, he's going to be disappointed." She twiddled the braided yarn anklet on her leg. Hers was black and white. She remembered saying to Pem when they made the anklets, "Mine has to be black and white to counteract all the pink in yours." Now she looked up at Pem. "So talk to me about Max. Are you really in love? Like...
love
love?"

Pem's expression softened. "He's so great. I know I had a crush on him last year, but this is different. For one thing, it's reciprocal. He's into me, too. I know you think he's just some gear-head who wears Hawaiian shirts, but there's more to him, Lena. He's so sweet and funny and cool."

"I'm sure," murmured Lena.

"And you know what?"

"What?"

"We're going out tomorrow. A real date, not sneaking around."

"Really?"

Pem nodded. "I even told my moms."

"You did? How did they take it?"

"They were okay, actually." Pem sounded surprised. "Of course I have to be home at, like, a ridiculous hour, but still."

"Were they freaked out that he's in college?"

"A little. But I explained that he only turned eighteen a few months ago. So we're only two and a half years apart."

"Good. I'm happy for you, Pem."

"Thanks." Pem glowed.

"Hey, Pem?"

"Yes?"

"I wasn't going to tell you this, but..."

"Oooh, sounds juicy," said Pem, scooting closer.

"No, not like that. But first you have to promise not to tell Max."

"I promise."

"Or Kai."

"Wow. Okay." Pem waited.

"Um, well, Martha and Leslie invited me to the movies tomorrow. And I'm going to go, but ... um, I'm not really going to the movies."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to go surfing."

"What do you mean? I thought you just said you were going to the movies."

"I am ... I mean, I'm going to have my dad take us to the movies, but then I'm going to sneak out and come back home for Max's surfboard, and go surfing."

"What?"

Lena nodded.

"But why? If your dad finds out, he'll—"

"He won't find out."

"How are you going to get there?"

"Walk."

"Walk? You're going to walk all the way to Back Yard with a surfboard?"

Lena hesitated. "No."

Pem stared at her, puzzled, then went still as a stone. "No," she whispered. "You don't mean Magic's."

"I do," said Lena.

"You're, like ... messing with me, right?
Tell
me you're just messing with me."

"I'm serious."

"You can't be."

"I am."

"Lena..." She struggled for words. "You
just learned
to surf. Magic's is for extreme surfers!"

"I can handle it."

Pem grabbed her hand. "Don't do this. I'm begging you."

"I have to."

"
Have
to? What are you talking about? Lena, listen to me. Have you ever seen a girl surfing at Magic's?"

"Well ... I guess not."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I don't know."

"Because they know you could get killed out there! Why do you think they call that one spot out there the Cauldron?"

"I'm not going to get
killed,
Pem. Jeez. Dramatic much?"

Pem glared at her.

"Theatrical?" added Lena, smiling.

Nothing.

"Uh ... hysterical?"

But Pem would not play. "And there's the Boneyard," she said. "You know about the Boneyard, right?"

Lena hesitated. Oh, yeah. The Boneyard.

Pem leaned in so that her face was inches from Lena's. "It's that shallow spot, nothing but reef and rocks. It will cut you up like hamburger if you get washed out there."

Lena swallowed.

"Yeah," said Pem. "How do you like Magic's now?"

Forcing a light note into her voice, Lena said, "I won't wash out in the Boneyard. I promise."

Pem stared at her a minute longer, then sighed and shook her head. "If I can't talk you out of this, at least wear a helmet," she begged.

Lena smiled.

"I'm serious! If you're going to do this insane thing, at least protect yourself."

"I'm going to be
fine.
Nothing's going to happen. I just wanted to let you know. In case..."

"In case what?" Pem's face was strained.

"Nothing. I just wanted to tell you because you're my best friend." She stood up. "Let's get something to eat. I'm hungry. What is Mama Mia making for dinner?"

Pem stood up, too. "Lena," she said, "if the conditions are bad tomorrow, swear to me you won't go through with this."

Lena did not answer.

"See you later, Dad," said Lena, climbing out of his car.

"Thanks, Mr. Whittaker," said Martha, who smelled unusually floral and who seemed to take a long time exiting the car.

Leslie got out of the car and joined Lena, rolling her eyes.

"You're welcome, Martha," said Lena's dad. "Leslie's mom is picking you girls up after the movie, right?"

"Yes," said Leslie.

When Martha took too long to close the door, Lena called, "Have fun on your date." Her parents were going to a winetasting event and art show in Santa Cruz—they would be gone for hours, which played a big part in Lena's scheme.

"I will. Call if you need anything. Bye, honey."

"Bye." Lena waved to him as he drove away.

The three girls walked into the mall and headed for the movie theaters. Lena stood in line with them, paid for her ticket, and sat down. She tried to participate in the conversation, but her mind was on her alternate plan. As the lights went out and the coming attractions blared onto the screen, Lena gripped the handrests of her seat. Any minute now.

The coming attractions seemed to go on and on. At last, the opening credits appeared for the feature presentation. Lena waited until the first scene was under way, then took a deep breath, leaned over to Leslie, and whispered, "My stomach is kind of bothering me."

Leslie looked over at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"You okay?"

"I think so."

"Okay."

She counted to two hundred in her head, then leaned over and whispered, "I'll be right back. I'm going to the bathroom."

"Okay."

Lena walked out of the theater and headed for the bathroom. She stood in a locked stall in the bathroom for several minutes. To pass the time, she went through the names of famous surf spots around the world: Phantoms, Himalayas, Alligators, Outer Logs, Pipeline, Lance's Right, Blacks, Haleiwa, Thunders, Pit Stops, Telescopes, Avalanche, Bowls, Gas Chambers, Dungeons...

Magic's sounds almost safe, compared to some of those places,
she thought.

Finally she stepped out of the stall, washed her hands, and returned to the theater, making her way past rows of people in the dark.

As she sat down, Leslie whispered, "I thought you were never coming back!"

"I know ... it's my stomach."

"What's the matter?"

"It must be something I ate." Lena felt her face heat up with the lie. Good thing it was dark in the theater.

"Oh, no," said Leslie.

"Yeah. I think I'd better go home."

"Want me to call my mom?"

"No. I'll just call my dad."

Martha leaned over. "I thought your parents were going somewhere."

"Shhh!" hissed someone behind them.

Lena leaned across Leslie so Martha could hear her, too. "They'll still be home. It's no big deal. I'll talk to you later."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Want us to go with you?"

"No!" she said. "No. You guys stay and watch the movie. I'll talk to you later."

***

Lena zipped herself snugly into her wetsuit and slid on her shoes, then risked a glance out the door of the garden shed. She could see Cole and his babysitter, Janni, in the family room. They were playing on his Mindbender.

It was now or never. Lena took a deep breath, then grabbed her duffel bag and Max's surfboard. Crouching low, she hurried around the side of the house, in the opposite direction of the family room. When she reached the sidewalk, she hitched up the heavy surfboard under her arm, adjusted the strap of her duffel bag, and headed down the street.

She was sweating before she even reached the parking area.
I'm going to be exhausted before I ever get there,
she thought.
But beggars can't be choosers ... I need to do this while I have Max's board.

By the time Lena reached Magic Crescent Cove, the sun was no longer high in the sky. She checked her watch. 4:15. She sank down onto the sand, tired and frustrated. After all this planning and lying, she wouldn't even have much time in the water, now that she was finally here. But it couldn't be helped. Sneaking around was harder than it looked.

Lena's heartbeat slowed as she gazed out at the sea. Her breathing calmed. She didn't try to study the conditions; she just drank in the soothing ocean breeze and the hypnotic sound of the surf. When she felt at peace, she turned her attention to waxing Max's board and reading the waves.

They were coming in regular sets, but they were huge—fifteen-foot rolling pins of heavy water. Lena had seen the waves at Magic's bigger than this ... but not often.

Just my luck,
she thought with a sigh.
The one day I manage to snag a board and get away for some stealth surfing, the waves are almostun- surf-able.

No one was in the lineup, but there were four guys in wetsuits hanging around onshore. The size of the waves must have discouraged them.

Not me,
thought Lena. She stood up. "Okay, mermaid," she whispered. "Here I come."

The other surfers eyed Lena curiously as she headed toward the water.

"Hey," called one of them.

Lena glanced back.

It was a youngish guy with blond dreads. "You're not going in, right?"

Lena nodded and turned away.

"Aw, go home to Back Yard, little girl," he jeered.

Lena quickened her pace a little.

Someone else called, "Miss? Hey. Wait up."

Fighting an impulse to snap, "What?!" Lena looked over her shoulder.

A middle-aged guy with a dark beard was walking in her direction. "You're not really going in, are you?"

"Yes, I am," she said, and kept going.

"Don't do it," he called. "They're breaking too big. You'll never make it outside."

Lena didn't slow.

"I'm serious," added the guy, raising his voice. "This is the kind of day people need a tow."

Lena lifted a hand to acknowledge that she'd heard him, but she didn't stop. She knew that surfers sometimes got "towed in" to the big waves by friends on Jet Skis ... it saved having to swim out past these monster breakers.

"Fine," yelled the dreads-guy. "Don't come crying to us when your board snaps in half."

There was laughter, but Lena ignored it.

As if having a bunch of guys yell at her wasn't bad enough, she heard Ani's voice in her mind, "Magic's is only for advanced surfers, and even then, it's dangerous."